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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29975115">Agoraphobic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WintersBeautyPolaris/pseuds/WintersBeautyPolaris'>WintersBeautyPolaris</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>OMORI (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drug Use, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Harm, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:47:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,860</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29975115</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WintersBeautyPolaris/pseuds/WintersBeautyPolaris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sunny always did prefer thunderstorms, they kept the clear skies from view.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aubrey/Sunny (OMORI)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>178</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u"> <em> <strong>AGORAPHOBIA</strong> </em> </span>
</p><p><span class="u"></span>Fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment.</p><p>Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that often develops after one or more panic attacks.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>5 months since the move to the city</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>His first panic attack happened while he was in class at his new school, he had asked to go to the restroom that time, hiding in a stall as he called Kel to calm himself down. He felt like a burden to do this to his friend, to have him help calm down, even if it was just a little.</p><p> </p><p>His second and third had happened in more open areas, during his gym class and during lunch, he'd resorted to finding a place where he wouldn't be bothered those times, calling Basil and Hero those times, only feeling worse by burdening them as well. He'd be lying if he wasnt grateful for thier help regardless, though.</p><p> </p><p>And the last panic attack was just all of a sudden, happening on his bus ride home, he had bolted immediately when it got to his stop, drawing the gazes of the other students, likely in a negative way, he didnt really know. He had made it past his front door as he crumpled into a ball, fumbling to get his phone out to call Aubrey, someone who easily grounded him the most out of anyone in the group. Deep down Sunny hated burdening the delinquent girl the most, but could never deny that she was the most help whenever these panic attacks happened.</p><p>
  
</p><p>...</p><p> </p><p>He was tired of having panic attacks at school, tired of having to rely on others. . .</p><p> </p><p>So he just stopped.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>4 months since he's made any proper contact with them.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>This move was far from the best thing that could've happened to him, he's realizing that now, after taking antidepressants prescribed to him by his Therapist, which had gone through his doctor, who approved them after they'd gone over Sunny's mental evaluation.</p><p> </p><p>Sunny was spiraling again, falling back down into the dark pit of depression he had been in when the accident had first happened, and which had slowly grown over time as year after year passed him by in that prisonlike room in Faraway.</p><p> </p><p>The only freedom from said prison were his friends, but now he was just left to rot in an all new prison, slotted in a jungle of iron and concrete, with none of his friends there to help him at all.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Ping</strong> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Another message rang off on his PC, a newer model then the fossil he's lived with for the past four years. His mother got it for him as a Christmas gift last month, stating something along the lines about how it was time to upgrade.</p><p> </p><p>He decided to look at the messager app that had been going off as of late, lump in his throat as he looked at the contact list.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> <strong>Kel (New Messages)</strong> </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> <strong>Hero (New Messages)</strong> </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> <strong>Basil (New Messages)</strong> </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span class="u"></span>Click, scroll, click, scroll. Kel was kel, checking up on him like the past few months had been going by. Hero's last message had mentioned something about how his college was in Sunny's city. It was a reassuring feeling, to know that one of his friends would be relatively close to where he lives, he guessed.</p><p> </p><p>But . . . It was Hero, the one he thought should honestly hate him the most, for taking Mari away from him, for putting everyone through such a hellish, emotional rollercoaster for the past 4 years, and he guesses, for what was now going back into the same slump he was in before, shutting himself off like he did before.</p><p> </p><p>Basil messaged him only messaged him to let him know how his therapy was going, noting that it seemed to be going better for his flower loving friend than it was for him. He felt like talking to the same person about his problems wasnt helping him at all, and all it did is made him wonder how he was someone Kel or Aubrey could vent to often when they were younger.</p><p> </p><p>There was one last contact, one that hadnt really pinged in a while, to Sunny's knowledge. It was Aubrey's name on the list. </p><p> </p><p>Out of sheer curiosity, or something akin to it, he clicked the contact name, wondering if he might have muted notifications for her. To his own dismay, and lack of suprise, it was the same last few messages she'd sent him a while ago.</p><p> </p><p><span class="u"> <em>AUBREY</em> </span> <em>: Hey.</em></p><p>
  <em><span class="u">AUBREY</span>: The others told me you havent messaged them much either, these past few months, so i know its not you hating me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em><span class="u">AUBREY</span>: Im not a fan of this trend im seeing happen again, Sunshine, it feels like what happened when Mari died, and you're just closing off again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em><span class="u">AUBREY</span>: Ill. . . Ill stop bothering you, but please, if you need to talk, Sunny, please message or call me, im more than willing to talk to you about whatever the fucks going on.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Sunny found his hand moving to his keyboard, fingers hovering over the keys as he stood there, frozen in place. He didnt want to burden her, he didnt want to burden any of them, because he knows she'd tell everyone else about his problems if he spoke about it to her.l Slowly, he pulled his hand back from the keyboard, and minimized the messenger, sighing.</p><p> </p><p>He wanted to wash away . . . whatever he was feeling right now away, he just felt like garbage, being in this kind of state, where he cant even reply to a single message from a friend.</p><p> </p><p>Quickly exiting his room, socked feet trekked through the halls, making their way to the bathroom in the one story apartment. Stepping in he flicks the light on, the pale room being lit by a dull yellow bulb. Sunny sees his reflection in the mirror.</p><p> </p><p>He looks like a mess, he hasn't kept his hair in a good enough condition, it could hide his eyes if he swept his bangs in front of his face, he looks like he barely sleeps as of late, if the bags under his eyes were any indication. Atleast his something tortured him no longer, the traumatic being that plagued him for years, left behind in the hospital in Faraway.</p><p> </p><p>He stepped up to the sink, running the water cold as he stood there for a second. He cupped his hands under the running water, leaning forward as he splashed his face, running his hands down his face as stood there. He repeats the same motion a few more times before turning the water off, letting the water on his face drip into the sink for a good minute.</p><p> </p><p>Looking up, he's met with a much different gaze, or well, set of gazes, one that panics sunny all too much. He isn't looking at himself anymore, what stares back at him is a pale boy, and a mess of hair with a single, piercing eye that looks right at him</p><p> </p><p>Its Something and OMORI. He has to be hallucinating right? There's no way he'd be seeing them like usual, he'd gotten over Mari's death and dealt with the negative emotions that OMORI held because of it. He felt himself clench his fists as he stood there, mind racing.</p><p> </p><p>It was then, when OMORI smiled in a manic sort of way, that sunny showed any genuine reaction. One of anger.</p><p> </p><p>"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!"</p><p> </p><p>He didnt even know that he could get that loud, and in his haze of rage he took a blind swing at the two figures glaring at him in the mirror.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>SMASH!!!</strong> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Sunny's rage almost immediately dissapeared when he felt the searing pain shoot through his left hand, letting out quite the hiss as he stumbled back, his eye darting to look at his hand, freezing in place as he saw the crimson gushing out of his hand, some shards glittering where he'd been bleeding from. Raising his head up to look back in the Mirror he was met with his broken reflection.</p><p> </p><p>He broke the mirror.</p><p> </p><p>"Fuck . . . Fuck, fuck, fuck . . . "</p><p> </p><p>He needed to treat his brand new hand wound, kneeling to check the bathroom cupboard, to no avail the first aid kit wasnt there at all.</p><p> </p><p>"Mom must have put it in the kitchen . . ."</p><p> </p><p>He once again quickly exited the room he was in, now beelining his way to the kitchen, blood dripping from his hand as he walked, tears streaming from his face. </p><p> </p><p>As he was about to turn to enter the kitchen, the front door seemed to slam open, in the most violent of ways, startling Sunny as he quickly looked to the entrance.</p><p> </p><p>His heart dropped immensely as he saw who it was at the door. Why them, why did they need to see him at a new all time low, how did they even get his address. He stood there, like a deer in the headlights as he stared at the two in the doorway.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Aubrey and Hero.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>5 months since Sunny moved to the city.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The drive there almost felt deafening to Hero, Aubrey was just dead silent as she stared out the window as buildings passed them by, occasionally looking down to watch the road, her eyes tracing the stripes of the road as Hero stayed within them.</p><p> </p><p>It was a simple request, but it held a lot of weight when Aubrey had asked Hero.</p><p> </p><p>"Take me to go see Sunny"</p><p> </p><p>She had been living with him and Kel ever since a week or so after Sunny had finally moved from Faraway, wanting to escape that poor excuse of a home she had for the past several years. It was nice to have her around the house, she seemed to get along better with Kel, even despite the few squabbles they had over the bathroom mirror in the morning.</p><p> </p><p>. . . </p><p> </p><p>It was worrying, though, when Kel first had come up to him, saying how worried he was for Sunny, since apparently he had called Kel while having a panic attack during school. Part of Hero was proud of his brother for helping their friend through it, while a larger part only worried greatly for the boy.</p><p> </p><p>It seemed Basil was the next one Sunny contacted, Hero and Him were on speaking terms, despite the disappointment he felt in Basil over the truth of what happened to Mari. The fact that Sunny had two panic attacks within the span of two weeks was definitely worrying though.</p><p> </p><p>He was the next to get a call from Sunny, he picked up to hear Sunny hyperventilating, voice shaky as he spoke Hero's name. </p><p> </p><p>God, it felt so foreign to hear sunny like that, sound so . . . Afraid. He does his best to reassure Sunny that everything is fine, even going as far as to help him with breathing exercises.</p><p> </p><p>He lost track of time as he sat there, doing what he could to calm him down, and eventually he succeeded. Sunny was about to hang up when Hero had stopped him, he wanted to talk a bit more, give him more tips to calming down if he ever got like this. He remembered a good example his father taught him, and that he'd used once before when he got into college.</p><p> </p><p>"Imagine a feather just floating in front of you, Sunny, and your breath is what's keeping that feather afloat, as long as you do that, i think you don't have to worry about panic attacks anymore"</p><p> </p><p>He got a quiet thank you, and Hero could tell his time with Sunny on the phone was over, as a school bell rang in the background, so he said his goodbyes, and Sunny hung up.</p><p> </p><p>Hero himself breathed a sigh of relief, happy he was able to help Sunny to some degree. A few days later his phone pinged, and when Hero checked it had been a message from Sunny.</p><p> </p><p>SUNNY: Feather works, thank you, Hero</p><p>HERO: It's not a problem, Sunny, i'm just glad i could help you out.</p><p> </p><p>Hero at least had some peace of mind after that during the next week or so, so that Sunny would be fine with that little trick he taught him. </p><p> </p><p>That's when that Friday, Aubrey told him that Sunny called her, all panicky and worried.</p><p> </p><p>. . . </p><p> </p><p>Aubrey hated how she felt when she got a call from Sunny. She hated the deep pit in her stomach that formed when she heard the shaky fear in his voice when he spoke her name, the hyperventilating, the soft thuds of Sunny hitting against something.</p><p> </p><p>Most of all, she fucking hated how she couldn't be there to directly comfort him, like how he used to when they were kids. She'd always make excuses to stay away from her house when she was young, saying that she wanted to be around Sunny or Mari, and while that was true, it was also to escape the constant yelling back and forth between her father and her mother, in which she'd occasionally get caught in the crossfire if she was unlucky enough.</p><p> </p><p>Most of the time it ended up with Aubrey just spending the day at Sunny's house, where it would have been her sitting with Mari, talking about girl stuff and letting Mari play with her hair, or Her and Sunny just sitting and watching cartoons together in his living room, smiling together quietly, and when they had started practicing together, Aubrey just liked to listen to them play together, even if there was some mess-ups.</p><p> </p><p>Other times she spent alone with Sunny at the park, they'd be sitting at the swings and she'd just . . . Vent to him, get all of her frustrations out, whether it be about Kel, School, or something else that bothered her. </p><p> </p><p>She remembers, one time she had gotten emotionally overwhelmed because of a certain fight her parents had with each other, before she had snuck out to go over to Sunnys that night, she had hid away as she heard the yelling pick up. It felt like the usual arguing until something shattered, loudly at that, and the yelling only got louder after that, she remembers vaguely running out past everything, running and not wanting to stop until she was safe with Sunny and Mari.</p><p> </p><p>She felt herself start shaking as she vented about it, and almost jumped out of her skin while she rambled on about it to feel Sunny wrap his arms around her in a hug. In reality, it made her cry more, but she was happy as she hugged the boy back. He mumbled how this was what Mari would do for him, so he'd do it for Aubrey now, and she felt her heart flutter a little, sobs dying down to soft hiccups and sniffles.</p><p> </p><p>And honestly, on the phone with him right now, she wishes she could hug him, just like he'd done for her that day, he sounded like he needed it.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>It had been after that though, that he pretty much stopped calling or texting them in general.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Aubrey's gaze shifted from the side window to just staring out the front window, shifting in her seat to rest her head on one knee.</p><p> </p><p>"That's not entirely safe, y'know."</p><p> </p><p>"Bite one" </p><p> </p><p>. . .</p><p> </p><p>Back to silence it was, god the atmosphere in the car was heavy, since neither of them knew what was going to happen when they got there, for all they know, Sunny could have just gotten in trouble and been grounded, right?</p><p> </p><p>The thought was harsh, but it could be possible, it was better than the thought Aubrey had entertained briefly that something really bad happened to Sunny, and he just might not be around- </p><p> </p><p>No, stop thinking about that shit, Aubergine, he wouldn't do that to himself.</p><p> </p><p>She side eyed Hero as he drove, wondering if he ever entertained the same thought about that happening, but she pushed it away again.</p><p> </p><p>It was an awkward drive in silence until Hero had pulled the car into the parking lot next to a fairly sized building, mumbling something about the building number being what they were looking for.</p><p> </p><p>Hero checked his phone, nodding silently as he turned the car off, looking to Aubrey and uttering a simple;</p><p> </p><p>"Lets go."</p><p> </p><p>The walk, the elevator ride, both were quiet aside from the ambient sounds of people, footsteps and the elevator to accompany them. As the elevator hummed, on its way to the third floor of the building, Aubrey broke the silence on her own.</p><p> </p><p>" . . . I really hope he's ok . . . "</p><p> </p><p>" . . . I do too, Aubs, let's just hope it's nothing too bad, alright?"</p><p> </p><p>A nod from her, as the elevator came to a stop, letting out to a long hall. They stepped out together, walking down the hall as they kept an eye on each number they passed.</p><p> </p><p>Hero was the one to stop Aubrey, making her turn as she looked to him, seeing him point at the door they seemed to be looking for. Hero immediately tried the door, frown evident on his face, it was locked, it was an improvement, Sunny at least kept the door unlocked, unlike in his old house, where god knows his mother did not care if the door isn't locked.</p><p> </p><p>"Door's locked, we should check the front desk"</p><p> </p><p>Hell no, she wasn't going to make some fruitless trip just to probably not get anything out of it, she was getting in this damn apartment, now.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah, no, fuck outta the way."</p><p> </p><p>She shoved Hero out of the way, and before he could really get a question out . . . </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Wham!</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Her foot met the door, Aubrey backed up to do it again as Hero properly spoke up, trying to stop her by grabbing her shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>"Aubrey what the fuck, we could get in trouble for breaking in-"</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Wham!</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>She had shrugged him off, kicking it once again, determined as all hell to make sure one of her closest friends was okay, and no goddamn door was going to hold her back from this.</p><p> </p><p>"Aubrey think at least! Someone could call the police if they don't know why we're here!-"</p><p> </p><p>"That's their fucking fault, if you wanna waste your damn time kiss-assing some goddamn front desk clerk go ahead, but im not going another damn minute without knowing my friend is alive, damn it!"</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Wham!!!</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>One final, solid kick did the job, the sound of wood crunching heard as the door flung open, destroying some of the framework of the door with it, slamming against one of the inner walls of the home.</p><p> </p><p>. . . </p><p> </p><p>Hero sighed as he walked in with Aubrey, he did not know how he was going to explain this to staff, police, or even Sunny's mother or Sunny himself.</p><p> </p><p>The Atmosphere of the room seemed to shift several octaves darker, where it had been so bright and beautiful outside that day, the feel in Sunnys apartment held the exact same eerie feeling Hero had felt when he'd been in the old house.</p><p> </p><p>This time was Different though, there was no truth to hide, only a young teen, stunned, like a deer would be in the middle of a midnight road as he saw both him and Aubrey standing there in the doorway.</p><p> </p><p>He wanted to say something, anything, to Sunny, that would alleviate this awkward tension in the air at the moment, until he eventually noticed the still bleeding wound on his young friends hand.</p><p> </p><p>"Woah, Sunny, we gotta take care of that before it gets infected. . ."</p><p> </p><p>Hero quickly made his way past Aubrey, putting a gentle hand on Sunny's shoulder. He seemed to flinch a bit, but shakily nodded soon after, pointing towards the kitchen and mumbling the words 'first-aid kit…' . Hero nodded, walking with him towards the kitchen to help him with cleaning and treating the wound his friend sustained.</p><p> </p><p>Aubrey trailed behind, just watching as Hero helped Sunny with the. . . well she wouldn't call it a nasty cut, but it wasn't the cleanest of cuts either, it just looked messy from what she'd seen. She was curious though, how did Sunny even do this to his hand? </p><p> </p><p>Moving from leaning against the wall of the kitchen where Hero was cleaning Sunny's hand, she took the opportunity to wander around the place, looking for any sort of clue that might lead her to an answer to her question. As she turned a corner she noted the bathroom light was on, and she let out the smallest of hmm sounds, and made her way towards it.</p><p> </p><p>Her sense of curiosity was replaced with . . . One of sadness as she turned the corner, seeing her broken reflection in the mirror, which looked about ready to fall off of the shoddy screws that held it up.</p><p> </p><p>"Jesus . . . "</p><p> </p><p>She approaches the sink carefully, looking over the mirror, noting how the quality of the mirror was garbage in the first place, which explained how it would've cracked with Sunny punching it. Hell, she could probably snap a piece off without trying. The way it was hung up wasn't done any better, either, some low level plastic, and rusted screws that looked ready to snap under too much pressure.</p><p> </p><p>Best to back away from this health hazard.</p><p> </p><p>She at least turns the light off before leaving the room, deciding to see how Sunny and Hero were doing. She slowly wandered her way back, eyeing Sunny's open bedroom door.</p><p> </p><p>. . . Nah.</p><p> </p><p>Making her way back to the kitchen finally, she watched as Hero was essentially in the last stages of patching up Sunny to the best of his ability.</p><p> </p><p>"Do you uh . . . Feel like talking about what caused this, Sunny?. . ."</p><p> </p><p>Sunny did not really react much, seeming to think to himself about how to answer. Aubrey decided to answer FOR him in that moment;</p><p> </p><p>"For some reason, I'd like to wager the shattered mirror in the bathroom was his doing, Hero."</p><p> </p><p>Sunny winced, which told her she was right on the mark, and Hero only gave him a look of concern as he stood there. </p><p> </p><p>". . . I uh . . . Wow. . . If you don't mind me asking, Sunny, why punch the mirror? . . . "</p><p> </p><p>Sunny looked like he wanted to desperately disappear at that point, ready to hide away and never be seen again by anyone, looking down at the floor.</p><p> </p><p>" . . . Bad stuff, stuff I thought I got over, I saw . . . I saw something and what looked like me, but they were just judging me, and when the other me smiled . . . I couldn't take it so I got angry and hit the mirror as hard as I could . . . I didn't mean to break it . . . "</p><p> </p><p>Hero and Aubrey could just feel the pits in their stomachs form as they listened to Sunny ramble on, apologizing for what he did, over and over. Hero was the first one to hug Sunny, the poor boy tensing up at Hero's touch. Not long after that, Aubrey followed suit, hugging the both of them as well.</p><p> </p><p>Hero only said a simple reassurance, but it was enough to make Sunny break down crying in their arms.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>"It's Alright, Sunny, everything's going to be Okay, we're here for you."</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
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